


His First Day Home

by LadyPaigeC



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Pete's World, Post Bad Wolf Bay, Slice of Life, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 12:19:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12232695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyPaigeC/pseuds/LadyPaigeC
Summary: The Metacrisis Tenth Doctor and Rose have been left together on a windy beach in Norway by the full Time Lord. They need to resolve a few things before they can start their life together, but that is something they both want. This is a glimpse of their first night together and the following morning.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ANGSWIN](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANGSWIN/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [ANGSWIN](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANGSWIN/pseuds/ANGSWIN) in the [The_Doctor_x_Rose_Collection](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/The_Doctor_x_Rose_Collection) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Rose and the Duplicate Doctor have just been left on the beach at Bad Wolf Bay in Pete's World. What happens next?
> 
> ~~~~~  
> Just a few notes:
> 
> I love strong and confident characters, positive F/M romance, lighthearted banter, and happy (or hopeful) endings.
> 
> I am not a fan of excessive drama!
> 
> Please keep the story at a Teen+ or below rating.  
> Therefore, please do not include anything explicit: sex, violence, etc...  
> (General references to these scenarios are fine, though!) 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you!

Rose couldn't believe she was in Pete's universe with the Doctor…the new Doctor, well the new, new Doctor. She was still holding his hand, an hour after Donna and the Doctor - the original Doctor - left them on a windblown beach. 

She wasn’t quite happy with the way that he’d left. She knew he wasn’t one for goodbyes, but he’d promised...she’d thought...well, nevermind what she’d thought. It hurt was all. She glanced at the Doctor. It was a strange feeling being angry at and also being angry on behalf of the same person at the same time. She sighed. Life with a Time Lord or, er, part Time Lord.

They were in a zeppelin on their way back to London. Rose felt as though, if she let go of his hand, he too might disappear on her. He didn't seem to mind, and perhaps understood a little, because every time she would glance over at him he'd be watching her. He'd squeeze her hand and give her his cheeky grin. God, she’d missed that look.

Jackie was prattling on about something to the attendant. Probably something about Tony or how happy she was to have her daughter back home...for good this time. Between Jackie, the hum of the zeppelin, and the stress of the last few days behind her, Rose felt a sense of peace come over her. When the Doctor pulled Rose closer to his side and gently guided her head to his shoulder, she stopped fighting the urge to keep her eyes open.

Rose woke enveloped in the Doctor's warmth and spicy scent. He smelled exactly like she remembered. Nothing reminded her more of home.

Rose looked around. It was dark out and the zeppelin was in the process of docking at Pete’s mansion. She must have made some noise because Jackie turned back toward them. "Rose, sweetheart, why don’t the two of you stay here tonight?”

“No, Mum. I’d rather go back to my place.” Rose turned to the Doctor. “That is unless…”

“What?”

“D’you wanna stay here?”

“Nah, it’s up to you.”

Rose looked down at her hands.

“You don’t mean me...alone do you?”

“I...I just thought you might be more comfortable here. I live in a tiny flat, and you’re used to the space of the TARDIS.”

“I had a whole universe without you, that’s enough space to last a lifetime. And that’s all I’ve got now - one lifetime. So, no, I don’t want to live with your parents. Erm, no offence, Jackie. Not without you. ”

Jackie rolled her eyes. “I didn’t expect you to stay here without Rose. You two’ll probably be shaggin’ like rabbits…”

Rose hissed, “Mum!”

“...probably best you don’t stay here with Tony in the house anyway.”

“Oh my God, Mum! Just shut up!”

The zeppelin landed and the attendant opened the doors for them.

“We’re...we just...I’m leaving. Doctor?”

He slipped his hand into Rose’s and she pulled him down the ramp toward her car.

“Oh, Rose! Don’t forget tomorrow’s Sunday. I expect you two for dinner.”

“‘K.”

“An’ don’t be late, I know you two’ll be tired from sh--”

Rose let out a screech of annoyance.

Jackie snickered the whole way back to the house.

\------------------

Rose stood morosely in front of her closet. 

“Sorry, I don’t have anythin’ that’ll fit you.”

He grinned. “None of Howard’s jimjams this time?”

Rose looked back at him with a small smile. “Yeah, sorry.”

“I don’t mind. It just means you didn’t have any blokes staying...not that you couldn’t have, because I just wanted you to be happy and--”

Rose cut him off saying, “We can go to the shops in the morning. Get you some things. I didn’t even think. Maybe we should’ve stayed at Mum’s. Sorry.”

He stepped up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulder. “Rose, it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

Her shoulders drooped and the Doctor let go of her as if he’d been burned.

“I...I’m sorry. I’ll just go in the other room. Sleep on the couch.”

Rose spun around, eyes wide and panicked. “No, don’t leave!”

The Doctor froze in place. 

Rose’s face crumpled and she started sobbing.

He gathered her into his arms. “Rose! What’s wrong?”

“I...I don’t...know! I...I’m just so...ugh…”

He clutched her tighter and ran his hands up and down her back. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

“You don’t know that! I...I am so...angry...and scared...an’ I don’t...don’t want...you to leave...me.” She grabbed hold of his lapel, tears still streaming from her eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere. Not without you. Better with two remember?”

Rose nodded against his chest, and tried to calm herself, but she couldn’t help the tears or little whimpers that escaped.

“I want to hate him ‘cos he left me again, after everything I did to get back to him. I spent years...saw…” Rose scrunched her eyes closed and let out a shaky breath. “...God, did things…an’ he just left. Without even a proper goodbye.” 

The Doctor squeezed her upper arms. “I...I’m sorry, Rose. But I didn’t have to say goodbye, because I’m here. I didn’t leave you. I’m never gonna leave you.”

She looked up at him, eyes glistening still with tears. “The Doctor left me.”

A flash of pain had him closing his eyes. “I am the Doctor, Rose. Same man.”

Rose clung tightly to the man holding her. “There was two of you though. An’ he left you too.”

The Doctor sighed and maneuvered them both to the bed. He sat down and pulled Rose down beside him. “Can I explain it from my perspective?”

Her lip wobbled, but she nodded. 

“This...this me. It feels just like any other regeneration. You remember how the first time, I said it was a bit dodgy? Regeneration. Well I wasn’t quite serious about the two heads or no head thing, but this time I did just get one heart. I remember every minute we’ve had together and all the feelings I’ve had for you in the last two bodies. That’s how it is for a Time Lord. And isn’t that all any person is? The sum of their thoughts and experiences and feelings? That’s me. I’m him. We’re...us.”

“But-” The Doctor held up his hand and Rose quieted, waiting for him to continue.

“I’ve run into myself before.” Rose inhaled in surprise. “900 years of time travel bound to happen a time or two. So it wasn’t unusual for me that bit...there being two of me at the same time. Typically we go off to our correct timestreams, and that’s that. Usually have to forget it for a time, but there you have it. I think the way I’ve been looking at it was me and my previous self happened to share space for a bit, but then he went off to his correct time, and I’m here where I’m supposed to be, and, well, you…” The Doctor took a deep breath and pushed on. “Anyway, he didn’t say goodbye because he’s right here.”

Rose chewed on her lower lip. “Will he forget me?”

“What?!”

“You said, you have to forget when there’s more’n one of you.”

“No. I could never forget you. Not for one minute. Ever.”

“Don’t know if that’s better.”

The Doctor hugged her tightly. “I’ll...he’ll be alright.” Rose bristled. “I’m not being flippant, Rose. He _will_ be okay. Maybe not tomorrow, but eventually...we always are. He’ll get through it, and he’ll go on. He’ll find new people to travel with, because he needs them. We need people. And one day it’ll be easier. But he will never, ever forget you.”

Rose buried her head in his chest and wept. Wept for the Time Lord. Wept for her and the new Doctor. Wept for the dissolution of her dreams. Wept for the unfairness of it all. All through it, the half-human Doctor held her close. He soothed her as best he could with murmured assurances and gentle caresses. When she was all cried out, a feeling of lightness suffused her. With the steadiness of the Doctor’s single heart beating under her ear, she thought about the future. Maybe her dreams weren’t lost to her, maybe they needed a bit of tweaking. Afterall, her biggest dream was to make it back to the Doctor and give him the rest of her forever. And she’d done that. She found him and he was here with her. Sure, he wasn’t the one she was expecting. But he was still her Doctor. He was the man that grabbed her hand and told her to ‘run.’ Stealing her heart in the process. He’d made it very clear he was willing to stay with her for her...his...their forever. 

Rose pulled back from the Doctor and he tensed. “‘M sorry.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “No, Rose. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m sor-”

Rose leaned forward and gave him a brief kiss. “I’m sorry, Doctor, that I didn’t say ‘I love you’ back on the beach.” He gaped at her. “Was a bit rude of me.”

“I...but...what?”

Rose looked at him through her lashes and bit her lip. “Typically when someone declares their love and you reciprocate those feelings, the custom is to at the very least say it back.”

“You still love me?”

“Of course, you plum. I promised you forever, not gonna let a little thing like regeneration change that.” 

The Doctor froze eyes wide, before a huge smile overtook his face. “Yeah?”

Rose smiled back. “Yeah.”

“Well, then we’re even. I’m sorry I didn’t say ‘I love you’ on the beach the first time. I’ll forgive you, if you forgive me.”

Rose laughed. “How ‘bout we promise to tell each other everyday to make up for it?”

“Maybe twice or three or-”

“As many times as you feel you need to.”

He grinned goofily, and she grabbed him by his lapels and dragged him toward her.

“I love you,” she said before pressing her lips to his. She could feel his smile through the kiss.

He pulled back and told her, “I love you, too.”

He leaned forward to continue their leisurely snogging session, when Rose yawned. In turn he yawned surprising himself. Rose laughed at his expression.

“Half human. Looks like you’ll need sleep now too.”

“Well, isn’t that’s just wizard,” he said grumpily.

Rose giggled and scooted back across the bed to lay down. She wiggled and slipped under the covers and patted the spot next to her. He hesitated just a moment before getting up and walking to the empty side of the bed. He removed his trainers and then lifted the covers and slid between the sheets. They sleepily faced each other, both fully clothed.

“Night, Doctor.” 

He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Night, Rose.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning had Rose and the Doctor browsing the men’s section of Henrik’s department store. The Doctor was absorbed with riffling through the suits and not really showing interest in much else. 

Rose took it upon herself to make sure he had at least the bare minimum of necessities. She stocked up on pants - soft cotton boxer briefs; socks - the kind with bright colors and silly designs; vests - in a variety of colors; jimjams - one with stripes, another with constellations; and a pair of slippers. She did her best to ignore the curiosity of the cashier as she handed her credit card over. That was something else she was going to talk to the Doctor about. There would be a lot of interest in the vitex heiress’ new beau. She glanced around the store and noticed it wasn’t just the cashier who was watching her every move. She signed her receipt, took her bags, went to find the Doctor.

“Rose, which do you like better? I couldn’t find the right shade of brown to match my last suit. What do you think of grey?” 

Rose looked at it critically. “‘S nice. I like the black pinstripes.”

“And then there are these two. I was thinking of branching out from just pinstripes.”

“Are those plaid?”

He grinned brightly. “Yup! I think I might be a plaid man now.”

“They are certainly something.”

“Great, I’ll get all three.”

Rose wrinkled her brow. “Um, Doctor. The suits are great an’ all, an’ we should probably pick up a tux too for some of the events my mum hosts, but how ‘bout some casual things? Like jeans and t-shirts?”

“T-shirts! Oh, brilliant. I’ll definitely need those, but jeans? Don’t you think I look dapper like this? Jeans would just-” He made a gagging sound and stuck his tongue out.

“Of course, I think you look great, but sometimes...it’s just nice to kick back an’...i just sort of wondered...maybe what you’d look like in a pair of jeans.”

“Hmm, really?”

Rose bit her lip. “Yeah.”

His face grew serious while he considered, but then his eyes lit up. “Okay. If you want your man in jeans, I can do that.”

Rose’s eyes spread wide along with her blush. “I-”

He grabbed her hand. “Allonsy, Rose Tyler.” And they headed for the casual clothing.

\-----------

Rose looked at the shopping bags surrounding their table. The Doctor shouldn’t need new clothing for a good long time. He’d gotten suits and trainers and ties of every color and button down shirts and t-shirts and casual trousers and yes, even jeans - several pairs. Rose’s eyes crossed just thinking about how good he looked in fitted denim. 

“Oh!” Rose rummaged around in her bag and pulled out several pieces of paper. She spread them on the tabletop where they were seated having lunch. “Pete sent these over for you.” 

The Doctor picked up the pages and read quickly through them. His brow furrowed. “What’s this for?”

“Well, if you’re gonna be living here...um, permanently, you need an identity.”

“But I have an identity. I’m the Doctor.”

“I know that, but officially you need a name. Pete will fudge your background, but he thought you’d like to pick your own human name.”

“Name? I have a name, and it’s not my fault it’s unpronounceable to the human tongue.” He crossed his arms and pouted.

“The Doctor isn’t so unpronounceable-”

“The Doctor’s my chosen name, but it’s not the name I was born with.”

Rose gaped at him. “You’ve a different name.”

“Forget I said anything, officially it was wiped from the records and doesn’t exist anymore. I’m the only one who knows it, and I like Doctor better anyway.”

“You’ve a real name and never said?”

“The Doctor is real enough. Besides, I, er, can’t exactly say what the other is.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not allowed.”

Rose gaped at him. “You’re not allowed to say your own name?”

“Er, well, no. I mean not...I can, but only under _very_ specific circumstances.”

Rose took a deep breath and tried to paste on a smile, but she found it hurt to not know such a basic fact about him. “Oh.”

The Doctor sat forward in his seat and took Rose’s hand in his. “It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you and really, I mean, I’d always dreamed...I do plan on it one day, but I can’t tell you until you’re my wife. I can only say it after the end of a marriage ceremony.”

“What?”

“I can only tell it to my wife.”

“An’ you...me?”

He squeezed her hand. “I’ve only got this one life now, and I want everything with you, Rose Tyler.”

“I…”

The Doctor sat back. “I’m not proposing now, want to do it properly, but, well, I just thought you should know.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They were grinning daftly at each other until the Doctor noticed other patrons looking at them and sneaking cell phone pictures of them. “Er, what were we talking about? Names?”

Rose cleared her throat. “Right. Yes. Names. I suppose, if you want you can keep Doctor as your first name, bit strange, but maybe we can say you’re American. They have loads of weird names there. Though it might be better if we keep Doctor as your title and you pick a whole new name. But at the very least, you’ll need a last name.”

The Doctor made a face like he’d eaten a pear. 

“How about John Smith? You use that often enough.”

“Suppose, but it’s not who I feel I am.”

“I’m sorry, Doctor. The Doctor, that’s who you are. We can keep that as your name, but you’ll still need a last name. Do you want to use Donna’s, since she sort of helped create you?”

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and crossed and uncrossed his feet. 

“Doctor?”

“Well, I just sort of figured I’d use Tyler.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, erm, when we get married, you shouldn’t have to take a name that I made up and means nothing to me. Plus you’re Rose Tyler. Like I’m the Doctor. I can’t see you as having any other name. So I just thought, I’d, er, take your name. If that’s okay with you?”

Rose felt tears beginning to pool in her eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah. I can be Doctor John Tyler. Don’t want people thinking you married an American.”

“Oh Doctor!” Rose’s chair scraped across the floor as she launched herself into his arms. “Love you!”

“I love you too, Rose Tyler.” He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Upon seeing the huge crowd gathered around them, Rose stood up and grabbed half the bags. The Doctor followed suit and picked up the rest. Rose smiled brightly and held out her free hand. “Run?”

The Doctor whooped with joy and chased after the love of his lives. As he would forever.


End file.
